MODULE 1

BLOCK 1: Principles of effective teaching and learning of the L2 in the CLIL classroom

KWL chart

 

Principles for effective teaching and leargning in the CLIL classroom:

ANALYSIS OF A CLIL SESSION: HEALTHY FOOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM25Iz_47FI

1-Is the language authentic?

The source of input which pupils are exposed to is likely to be profitable for them, as it seems to be authentic, it is a common language used in a real conversation for communication, it does not seem to be grammatically adapted for children of this age. According to Krashen (1982) acquisition takes places by exposure to comprehensible input. Therefore, this exposure to authentic language is supposed to help children to advance in their L2, and in this way to comprehend different contents transmitted in this language.

2-Does the T use extra linguistic support to make input comprehensible? (realia, body language, pictures…) 

The T uses pictures to explain the content and make it understood; also they help children to comprehend the language input.
Moreover the pronunciation is clear, she speaks slowly, varying her pitch in order to enhance important concepts or highlight some questions and she uses some repetitions.

 3-Do children produce language and interact?

Despite the fact that the children work in group in the last part of the session, they are not encourage to interact each other, thus negotiations of meanings and the practice of different communication strategies are missed. They are only asked for the T and the first who has the response in a group answers the question. The quantity of language that pupils produce is limited; they only answer the T questions which are likely to be the majority display ones instead of open ones which could promote the children creativity of language and content. Pupils are neither encouraged to use a variety of language functions.
According to Michael Long (1983) communicative interaction and production facilitate SLA, the input is made comprehensible through negotiations of meanings. Besides, negotiations of content also would contribute to comprehend and learn the target content.

4-Does exist any moment in which the teacher should have used the L1 or explain language rules? 

In this case, it has not seemed necessary to use the L1 or to explain grammar structures. The type of explanation and the activities proposed do not required that, as the T only asks some simple questions and the pupils answer them with a word or short expression. At the start of the class the T asks for the meaning of healthy food and children answer with the translation in their L1. A CLIL classroom implies not only the learning of a L2, but also the learning of specific contents. Consequently the use of L1 or the explanation of language rules can be a good point to keep the flow of the class.

5-Is the session a neat sequence or does it let children to manage themselves freely?

The session seems to be a 3’P model, presenting in the first part the content, in this case the food pyramid, secondly the children are shown some pictures of different food and they have to classify them in the correct place, thus this could be the control-practice stage, and last the pupils have to create a balanced plate, which could be the production stage.
Therefore this CLIL session is likely to be considered as a neat sequence which does not seem to let children act freely and experiment with language and content. Tasks which would involve information gap or problem solving activities could promote the negotiation of meaning and the use of communication strategies which would let children to acquire the language and content in a profound way.

6-Does the teacher control the learning process?

This session is likely to be considered as T lead. She is controlling the class every time through display questions which do not let children to use their own resources to think of creative language and content.

                                                       CHALLENGE!

BLOCK 2: Bilingualism and CLIL

BLOCK 3: Language, content, cognition and materials